


A Story

by Ironman_out_keele



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Gen, I'm Sorry, Sad, kinda based on a couple Tumblr posts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 06:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9223565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ironman_out_keele/pseuds/Ironman_out_keele
Summary: Death must go and collect a child's soul, but something unique happens as well.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InvisbleDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisbleDragon/gifts).



     A man walked into a children’s ward of a hospital. He was a striking man, something a bit unusual as he’s not noticed by the many people milling around that section of the hospital. The man, with his loose ebony curls framing his face and silvery eyes peering out into the night sky, took a deep breath to calm himself before turning to a door that was behind him. It was an ordinary door, nothing special about it. It was just a regular door in a regular hospital leading a regular child’s hospital room. But behind that door held a child whose soul was ready to leave, making the man mourn with an old weariness and pain. This was one of the worst aspects of being Death, as that was who the man was.

     Death straightened his black three-piece suit and fidgeted with a ring on his left middle finger. The ring was an interesting little thing, with a unique stone inlaid in a simple silver band. The unique stone was small and uncut, nothing too interesting. It was black but it held many color within, like the scales of a rainbow snake, making it a unique little thing.

     Death took another deep breath and enter the room before him. It was a simple room with its faded green walls and white tiled flooring, along with a large window that let in a lot of light and a few pine trees to block the view. The room had a simple hospital bed, surrounded by assorted machinery and with a simple nightstand standing to the right of it. There were balloons and flowers on and around the nightstand and a large teddy bear that had an equally large bow sitting in an empty corner.

     Death finally found the courage to look at the child on the simple hospital bed. The child had loose short curls surrounding their pale face. Beautiful hazel eyes peered up at Death, filled with wonder and curiosity. Death noticed that the child has a dusting of freckles above their button nose.

     The child was no more than 5, but when they spoke, they spoke with the vocabulary and authority of a person who was well beyond their years. If Death didn’t know better, he’d think that a leader was using a child’s tongue to speak.

     “Sir, I understand that you have some questions for me, but unfortunately you can’t ask me anything without my legal guardian’s permission and without them present to make sure the questions are suitable to ask a child.” The child’s voice tired, but oh so confident in their ability.

     “Charlie, I’m not here to ask you any questions. I’m here because it’s time to go.” The child, Charlie, looked confused before understanding showed in their eyes.

     “Death?” The tall and lanky man inclined his head. The child slumped their shoulders, “oh, I thought I had a bit more time…” Charlie muttered.

     Death braced himself for begging, screaming, crying, anger, basically a fight with everything negative thrown at him even though Fate decided their ends. Charlie surprised him when they took a deep breath and slowly released it, hugging a soft plush toy to their chest.

     “Death? Can I ask you a question?” Death sighed and nodded, waiting for the ‘what happens next?’ questions. He felt a bit annoyed because he’s the embodiment of darkness and sorrows, yet he feels so much pain and the sharpness of loneliness. He’s tired and he hates that question, but what the child did ask shocks him.

      _“Can you tell me a story please?”_

     Death felt himself choke up and his eyes water because this tiny thing, who was dying of a terrible blood disease and experienced the worst things in their short life, asking him for a story.

     “I’d like to hear about the many things you’ve seen, the things you’ve done, the people you’ve encountered. Death, what do you remember?”

     He takes a deeper breath and smiles at the child, nodding before his deep baritone voice filled the air, entrapping the child’s attention.

     “There once was a time that I-”


End file.
